Comments on: The Revenge of the Geeks vs. the Nerds http://www.lisjobs.com/blog/?p=17 Fri, 02 Sep 2011 20:31:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Cool Librarian http://www.lisjobs.com/blog/?p=17&cpage=1#comment-68 Cool Librarian Thu, 04 May 2006 21:41:00 +0000 http://www.lisjobs.com/blog/?p=17#comment-68 Hmmmm, while I definitely possess qualitites from both lists, I would like to say, no, SCREAM, that I am an amazing (and most bootyliscious) dancer, and very athletic, thank you very much. Hmmmm, while I definitely possess qualitites from both lists, I would like to say, no, SCREAM, that I am an amazing (and most bootyliscious) dancer, and very athletic, thank you very much.

]]> By: Mohamed Taher http://www.lisjobs.com/blog/?p=17&cpage=1#comment-67 Mohamed Taher Sun, 30 Apr 2006 07:17:00 +0000 http://www.lisjobs.com/blog/?p=17#comment-67 Congrats.<br/>I like your final paragraph that accommodates (live and let live approach). <br/>I wish you all the best. Hope your audience will find more food-for-thought in a webliography that I compiled:<a HREF="http://www.geocities.com/drmtaher/LibrariansTechies.htm" REL="nofollow">Librarians and Techies – A NEXUS</a> Congrats.
I like your final paragraph that accommodates (live and let live approach).
I wish you all the best. Hope your audience will find more food-for-thought in a webliography that I compiled:Librarians and Techies – A NEXUS

]]> By: walt http://www.lisjobs.com/blog/?p=17&cpage=1#comment-66 walt Mon, 24 Apr 2006 21:40:00 +0000 http://www.lisjobs.com/blog/?p=17#comment-66 I initially found Rory Litwin's post bemusing for several reasons, but possible fodder for a forthcoming "finding balance in libraries/librarians" piece. Then I read the string of comments. And sighed.<br/><br/>Then I read the post about Rick Anderson (whose stances I'm not that fond of)...and actually read the three articles that Rory referred Anderson to. And sighed more.<br/><br/>I find that none of it makes much sense to me. Maybe I'm insufficiently Progressive. (Maybe I'm too much of a non-Librarian, but I don't think that's it.) I'm certain that it's not that I'm too much a "geek"--although maybe by Litwin's standards I am. Perhaps I fail through an inability to recognize all capitalist structures for tools of the devil (although I'm as passionate as anyone about disliking attempts to privatize or trivialize/"virtualize" libraries).<br/><br/>If something is happening here that's worth pursuing, I sure don't know what it is. Is it possible that I'm too much of a centrist to even <i>see</i> the conflict at work?<br/><br/>[Why this comment is here rather than on Library Juice or as a post in my own geekish anti-intellectual blog: I feel the need to say something but don't have the desire to encourage this pseudo-conflict.] I initially found Rory Litwin’s post bemusing for several reasons, but possible fodder for a forthcoming “finding balance in libraries/librarians” piece. Then I read the string of comments. And sighed.

Then I read the post about Rick Anderson (whose stances I’m not that fond of)…and actually read the three articles that Rory referred Anderson to. And sighed more.

I find that none of it makes much sense to me. Maybe I’m insufficiently Progressive. (Maybe I’m too much of a non-Librarian, but I don’t think that’s it.) I’m certain that it’s not that I’m too much a “geek”–although maybe by Litwin’s standards I am. Perhaps I fail through an inability to recognize all capitalist structures for tools of the devil (although I’m as passionate as anyone about disliking attempts to privatize or trivialize/”virtualize” libraries).

If something is happening here that’s worth pursuing, I sure don’t know what it is. Is it possible that I’m too much of a centrist to even see the conflict at work?

[Why this comment is here rather than on Library Juice or as a post in my own geekish anti-intellectual blog: I feel the need to say something but don't have the desire to encourage this pseudo-conflict.]

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.lisjobs.com/blog/?p=17&cpage=1#comment-65 Anonymous Mon, 24 Apr 2006 19:13:00 +0000 http://www.lisjobs.com/blog/?p=17#comment-65 "But do we have to stuff ourselves into antagonistic boxes to have this conversation? Do we have to imply that 'geeks' are anti-intellectual, or that 'nerds' represent librarianship at its purest?" No, we don't. kgs “But do we have to stuff ourselves into antagonistic boxes to have this conversation? Do we have to imply that ‘geeks’ are anti-intellectual, or that ‘nerds’ represent librarianship at its purest?” No, we don’t. kgs

]]> By: Bob Watson http://www.lisjobs.com/blog/?p=17&cpage=1#comment-64 Bob Watson Mon, 24 Apr 2006 18:52:00 +0000 http://www.lisjobs.com/blog/?p=17#comment-64 Please forgive the historical note ... but in my view the "geek" mindset has been prominent since 1900 or so. <br/><br/>Its original domain was cataloging. <br/><br/>The nerds who were actually interested in what books contain gravitated to public services and/or administration. Please forgive the historical note … but in my view the “geek” mindset has been prominent since 1900 or so.

Its original domain was cataloging.

The nerds who were actually interested in what books contain gravitated to public services and/or administration.

]]> By: lukethelibrarian http://www.lisjobs.com/blog/?p=17&cpage=1#comment-63 lukethelibrarian Mon, 24 Apr 2006 17:51:00 +0000 http://www.lisjobs.com/blog/?p=17#comment-63 No kidding, Joshua. I've <a HREF="http://lbr.library-blogs.net/ten_thousand_and_counting.htm" REL="nofollow">said it before on my own blog</a> but I'll say it again: just because we spend all day in the library, doesn't mean we have to start acting like the freakin' Breakfast Club. No kidding, Joshua. I’ve said it before on my own blog but I’ll say it again: just because we spend all day in the library, doesn’t mean we have to start acting like the freakin’ Breakfast Club.

]]> By: Steve http://www.lisjobs.com/blog/?p=17&cpage=1#comment-62 Steve Mon, 24 Apr 2006 17:39:00 +0000 http://www.lisjobs.com/blog/?p=17#comment-62 I agree that Litwin's earlier post on technology in the biblioblogosphere was more thought-provoking. This one, with questions in the comments of where ones "final loyalties" lie, feels more like outright trolling. How about the <a HREF="http://www.plasticbag.org/archives/2004/03/from_pirate_dwarves_to_ninja_elves.shtml" REL="nofollow">ninja/pirate or dwarf/elf</a> divide in libraries?<br/><br/>Litwin has a <a HREF="http://libraryjuicepress.com/blog/?p=47" REL="nofollow">new post today</a> with citations to articles that he says articulate his point of view better. I think I'll take a look at those and ignore the "geek v. nerd" posting. I agree that Litwin’s earlier post on technology in the biblioblogosphere was more thought-provoking. This one, with questions in the comments of where ones “final loyalties” lie, feels more like outright trolling. How about the ninja/pirate or dwarf/elf divide in libraries?

Litwin has a new post today with citations to articles that he says articulate his point of view better. I think I’ll take a look at those and ignore the “geek v. nerd” posting.

]]> By: SailorAlphaCentauri http://www.lisjobs.com/blog/?p=17&cpage=1#comment-61 SailorAlphaCentauri Mon, 24 Apr 2006 17:20:00 +0000 http://www.lisjobs.com/blog/?p=17#comment-61 I was put off by Rory's entry simply because I felt as if I had to choose a side -- something that I feel is very devisive and doesn't build towards using the best of both worlds to take libraries into the future and beyond. <br/> As a library science student, I don't have the experience yet to have seen the divide of which he speaks, but I hope that I can use my experiences from both "sides" to be productive in the library profession. I was put off by Rory’s entry simply because I felt as if I had to choose a side — something that I feel is very devisive and doesn’t build towards using the best of both worlds to take libraries into the future and beyond.
As a library science student, I don’t have the experience yet to have seen the divide of which he speaks, but I hope that I can use my experiences from both “sides” to be productive in the library profession.

]]> By: joshua m. neff http://www.lisjobs.com/blog/?p=17&cpage=1#comment-60 joshua m. neff Mon, 24 Apr 2006 17:14:00 +0000 http://www.lisjobs.com/blog/?p=17#comment-60 I suddenly have this urge to watch <i>The Breakfast Club</i>. I suddenly have this urge to watch The Breakfast Club.

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